New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole and his family have reached that time of the year when they prepare for a hectic baseball schedule.

Cole's strikeout rate has declined for three straight seasons, dropping from 33.5% in 2021 to 25.4% in 2024, the lowest since his 2017 season with the Pittsburgh Pirates. His fastball velocity has also dipped, falling from an average of 97.1 mph in 2021 to 94.8 mph in 2024, with the most significant drop—1.4 mph—occurring between 2023 and 2024.

And, as he did on Friday during his bullpen session, Cole had one of his childhood heroes watching from behind the mound, Roger Clemens, who is in camp as a guest instructor. “It was awesome,” Cole said Sunday. “It’s really great. Álex [Rodríguez] was in the house the other day, too. It’s good vibes.

It has been a turbulent spring training for the New York Yankees so far, but fans will get their first look at new starting pitcher Max Fried on Monday.

Max Fried was exactly what the New York Yankees needed Monday night. The left-handed starter looked strong and smooth in his spring training 2025 debut, hours after the Yankees received very bad news about their rotation.

With spring training now a few weeks old, it’s clear the Yankees’ cerebral starters will be sounding boards for one another, as well as their teammates.

The Yankees have lost two more pitchers to injuries ahead of opening day. The pressure will now mount on Cole and Fried.

TAMPA — The word of the night for Gerrit ... year],” Cole said after his first Grapefruit League outing Friday. “I really like where I’m at. I liked what I saw.” The Yankees ace ...

The Yankees still haven't forgotten how the Dodgers celebrated after ending their season in Game 5 of the World Series.